Important Vintage and Pre-War cars were the standout performers at Shannons Melbourne Winter Auction on Monday, July 13, driving a $1.8 million (NZ 416,287) sale result, with an impressive 89 per clearance rate.
The ‘gold standard’ performer on the night was a beautifully restored early ‘Post Armistice’ 1920 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost with a fascinating Australian history that eventually sold for $371,000.
Bidding started at $240,000 for the locally-delivered car previously owned by a number of well-known collectors, but came down to a duel between two local enthusiasts beyond $300,000 to eventually finish comfortably above its pre-auction high estimate.
In another equally impressive result, a rare 1935 Hispano-Suiza K6 Vanvooren-bodied Limousine (above) in mostly unrestored condition and in need of some recommissioning sold above its high estimate for $120,000 following a contest between two phone bidders.
The good news is that the Roll-Royce and the Hispano Suiza are both staying in Australia after selling to local collectors.
Other strong Vintage/Pre-War results a restored Burgundy and Black 1929 Stutz Blackhawk Coupe sold for $52,000, while a 1936 right hand drive Auburn Sedan brought $46,500.
Ford Model Ts and As were also keenly pursued by enthusiasts, with a 1930 Model A Roadster selling for $27,000, a 1928 Model A Tourer bringing $17,000 and a 1923 Model T Roadster making $16,000 – all overshadowed by a circa-1927 well-executed T-Bucket Hot Rod powered by a Holden V8 engine that went for $30,000. A 1928 Model A Roadster in Project’ condition sold with no reserve for $5,500.
American convertibles from the 1950s and 1960s also sold well, topped by a restored and very collectible 1961 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel Injected Roadster that sold to an overseas bidder for $100,000.
Other good results were the $70,000 paid for a stunning red left hand drive 1957 Bel Air Convertible and $48,000 for a desirable and nicely preserved Series 62 convertible.
Australian and European sporting cars were also in demand, with a restored and beautifully presented 1973 Bolwell Nagari 351 V8 Coupe bringing an excellent $64,000, a tarmac rally-prepared Dino 308 GT4 made Ferrari ownership very affordable at $36,500, while a rare 1986 BMW535i Alpina B10 sedan attracted UK interest before selling locally for $21,000.
And indicating the continued demand for the popular Mk II saloons, a 1966 Jaguar Mk II 3.8 manual with a fine patina sold to a phone bidder for $29,000.
Amongst other ‘sporting cars’ a surprise result was the $34,000 paid for a 1971 Falcon XY Ute fitted with a 351 V8 engine and modified to ‘GS’ appearance.
Numeric black and white number plates also did well in the auction, with the top result being $171,000 paid for the Victorian Heritage number ‘162’.
*All prices listed in Australian dollars